The Declaration of Independence asserted that “all men are created equal” and have natural rights and the right of self-government by consent. Slavery contradicted these core principles of the Declaration of Independence as America’s creedal document. In part one of HCC&M’s 2026 Summer Speaker Series, Tony Williams, a Senior Fellow at the Bill of Rights Institution, shows how
enslaved people were the first to make a claim on those principles of liberty, equality, and self-government to fulfill the unrealized promise of America. Using the Declaration of Independence as their “North Star,” they launched “freedom petitions” and “freedom suits” making a claim on natural rights with unexpected and surprising outcomes. Williams will also sign copies of his new
book Divided Over the Declaration: How an Enduring Debate Sustains the Vision of America. Wine & cheese reception with speaker and book signing. Part one of the 2026 Summer Speaker Series. Tickets required.
